We believe the administration in Washington when it reports the rising cost of health care in America is unsustainable. We trust President Obama when he pledges not to accept health care reform legislation unless it is affordable and provides quality health care for all citizens in this country.
We agree with our unions that insist our health care system is basically flawed. We accept the argument that health care dollars are unwisely spent. Too much of this revenue is wasted on administrative costs, advertising and executive compensation. Greater incentives are needed to hold down costs.
We all suffer from the tremendous fiscal burden of health care costs. It affects our pensions, salaries and contracts. Fifty-seven million Americans have difficulty paying their medical bills. Health care providers tend to shift the cost of caring for the uninsured to those who have insurance. It is a monumental drag on the fiscal stability of our country, consuming 16 percent of the American economy.
The elderly are particularly at risk. The older population increased 11.2 percent from 1997 to 2007. Americans aged 65 and older now number 37.9 million. On average, we retire at 64 and can expect to live another 16 years. We will need more public and private resources to maintain our quality of life.
Every other industrialized nation in the world guarantees affordable health care for all its citizens. But the U.S. leaves 47 million Americans uninsured.
Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.”
The PEF Retirees exists to protect and enhance your rights and benefits in retirement. We will not support any program, plan or legislation that would diminish these benefits. We also will not abandon this historic and monumental struggle for meaningful and necessary change.
Now, on a more personal note, if you have interacted with our PEF Retirees office, you probably were communicating with Alice Hughes. For 16 years, she has been the face and voice of our retiree organization, but now she has retired. We will miss her hard work, dedication and sweet nature. The PEF Retirees wishes her all the best in her own retirement.
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